Graphical user interfaces are known particularly for computers and for operator control systems of electronic devices, in which they allow the user to interact with the machine by means of graphical symbols, also called objects. In this context, these objects can be controlled in a wide variety of ways. By way of example, they can be selected or moved by means of manual operator control elements, such as keys, rotary pressure controls or a mouse, using a touch-sensitive display panel or using gestures which are sensed in front of or on the display panel and are converted into control signals.
Today, mass-produced vehicles have functional devices, such as an air conditioning system, which is operated by means of mechanical keys and rotary controls. On account of a large diversity of variants owing to country-specific requirements and equipment variants, high levels of complexity arise in the planning and production of the operator control modules in this context. In addition, the increasing diversity of functions results in excess loading with switches, which means that these are no longer comprehensible to the user, make access to functions which are considered essential more difficult and hence increase the risk of distraction from the road traffic.
On account of this increase in electronic devices and the diversity of functions thereof in vehicles, it is now standard practice to also equip vehicles with an operator control system which has a graphical user interface in order to be able to control the various operator control systems of the vehicle, for example air conditioning system, radio, CD player, communication device or navigation system, by using a few, user-programmable operator control elements.
DE 10 2008 034 507 A1 describes a method for displaying information in a motor vehicle, in which a displayed two-dimensional graphical object may be rotated from the front to the back. In this case, the presentation may be chosen such that the display panel may be used as well as possible and the presented information can be grasped quickly and intuitively by the driver of the vehicle. This is achieved by virtue of perspective rotation of the graphical object, which in this case is always completely visible within the context of the perspective view. The front may be used to present display information and elementary setting options for functional devices in the vehicle, while the back can be used to make detail settings.
In addition, the documents U.S. Pat. No. 7,315,312 BS, U.S. Pat. No. 7,171,630 B2, U.S. Pat. No. 7,081,882 B2, JP 2000163193 A, EP 1 672 474 A2 and DE 43 01 766 C2 describe methods for graphical presentation of page turning for book pages, with particular discussion of the aspect of the realistic three-dimensional effect being provided.